Somebody Like You
by RainbowFiction
Summary: One Shot (Season 1) - Ever since Waverly dumped Champ, Purgatory's bachelors have crowded Shorty's trying to shoot their shot with the newly single Virgo. Just when the night can't get any worse, Champ shows up drunk and angry. Thankfully the new deputy, Nicole Haught, is there to protect and serve.


**Somebody Like You**

**One Shot**

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, show or comic Wynonna Earp, only this story I've written them in._

_This is my second fanfic. I hope it's better than the first._

Two hours into her shift and already it was a long one. Waverly had felt great, amazing even, when she finally came to her senses and broke it off with Champ. It was more than just feeling a weight off her shoulders. She felt like she was on the verge of self discovery. As though a door she hadn't noticed before suddenly unlocked and is now ajar. To what, she had no idea. The door that did keep opening however, is one she wishes would stop. The door to Shorty's. Every few minutes it'd swing open and in came all the so-called eligible cowboys and bachelors of Purgatory. Granted it's Saturday night. Shorty's busiest night. This Saturday night however, the boys roamed in with their eyes on the prize: Waverly Earp. Word had gotten out fast about the "newly single Virgo with hair for days" and all the testosterone are competing to either romance her or simply bag her.

Already three boys tried hitting on her and they all struck out. Waverly's patience started to wear out, especially her politeness. It seemed she had to start being more direct and assertive to quickly shut them down and move on to the next demanding patron. The only solace she has is her older sister Wynonna distracting about half of them with her drunken dancing and flirting. Doc also strolled in and sat at the bar giving off protective older brother vibes to try to ward off the roudier boys who had enough guts to come up to the bar directly to shoot their shot with her. One solid glare from Doc, and the boys would simply order a drink. However, there was no shielding from the rest of the boys scattered around the room when Waverly did her rounds.

"Hey, Waverly hows 'about I buy you a drink?," asks Jack as Waverly comes by to pick up the empty bottles around the pool table.

"Sorry, Jack, not when I'm working,'' she responds.

"Oh, you're definitely workin' them shorts," he laughs. Waverly rolls her eyes and doesn't bother with a comeback. She can feel the lustful gazes on her as she makes her rounds picking up empties before returning to the bar.

"How are you faring Miss Earp?," Doc asks her.

"I'm The Keeper of the Bones!," she snaps at him. Doc smirks back.

"Indeed."

"Sorry," she takes a breath. "It's just-I solved Uncle Earl's scavenger-hunt-puzzle-thingy. Me! And-and it wasn't easy. He knew how smart I am. You guys, you guys know how smart an-and resourceful I am.", Waverly rants.

"Indeed," he says quietly before drinking his whiskey.

"I'm practically the town historian, I'm fluent in three languages, including Latin, I was valedictorian in high school, I can sort-of-shoot a gun. I've helped take down revenants!," She angrily whispers the last part. Doc simply nods at every point she lists.

"Like… yes, okay I know I'm hot, but there's more to me than that," she adds.

"Indeed," Doc reaches behind the bar for a bottle to refill his glass. Without looking, Waverly automatically grabs it from him and holds it on the bartop.

"Is that all you're going to say to me?," she asks him. Her irritation was growing.

"I agree with everything you are stating, Miss Earp. I'm not sure what it is you are wanting me to say," he raises his glass with a charming smile. Waverly smiles back and shakes her head while refilling his glass with more whiskey.

"I don't know. I just wish… people would see more than just my looks. Why is it so hard for guys to understand that someone can be super hot and super smart at the same time? Intelligence can be sexy too!," she says looking around the room.

"I wholeheartedly agree with that as well. I have always preferred clever women," he says.

Just then a group of men groan by the darts board.

"Oh, yeah! How's THAT for big dick energy?! Pay up losers!," Wynonna yells. She downs a shot of tequila and hangs the tall shot glass onto her dart that was dead center of the board. Waverly looks at her drunk sister then back at Doc with a raised eyebrow. Doc smiles and shrugs his shoulders.

"Clever can mean different things," he says before downing his glass. Waverly refills it again.

"Right," Waverly says, shaking her head. She fills her tray with more drinks and braces herself for yet another lap around the bar. Her new tactic was to swoop by, dropping off orders without stopping to minimize social interaction.

"Hey, Wa-"

"Waves, I was won-"

"How's it go-"

"Howdy, hottie-"

Waverly rolled her eyes at the last one. Wondering if her eyes would roll into the back of her head with all the times she's involuntarily rolled them throughout the night. She was almost done with her rounds when she heard someone whistle a cat call behind her.

"Seriously?," she mutters. She whirls around and nearly decapitates her older sister with her tray.

"Whoa, shit!," Wynonna ducks. Waverly gasps and jerks back, losing balance of her tray. Wynonna reaches for it and helps Waverly regain balance right before any of the drinks spill over. "Breaking glasses is my thing, sis. What's going on?," she asks.

"Nothing," says Waverly, clearly flustered.

"Nothing my ass," Wynonna chortles. "Come on," she takes the tray then grabs her baby sister's hand and leads her back to the bar. They sit on the opposite end of where Doc is sitting, trying to charm a free beer out of a blond woman. Wynonna pretends not to notice and sets the tray on the bartop and steals a beer bottle. She pulls out a stool and pats it for her sister to sit.

"Hey, that's-oh whatever," Waverly crosses her arms and reluctantly sits down.

"Dude, what is with you tonight? You're single! There's hot boys everywhere!"

"Yeah, exactly. _Boys. _Boys suck," she responds with a pout.

"Haha, yeah they do," Wynonna laughs. Waverly rolls her eyes...for the millionth time.

"I'm serious, Wynonna."

"I know, baby girl," she says, calming down. "You're too good and too smart for this town. These guys don't deserve you."

"Thank you."

"But at the same time-"

"Here we go."

"Live a little! You're free from that ass wrangler. Free to do what or _who_ you want."

"Oh right 'cause this place is filled with guys totally worth dating."

"Totally worth _screwing_," Wynonna sarcastically corrects. Waverly just glares at her. "Oh my god, Waves, you don't have to have a relationship with the next guy you have sex with. There's this thing-you're gonna love it- it's called 'one-night stand'," she says with an exaggerated smile and wide eyes.

"Funny. It's just-I wish the guys here would see me as more than the hot cheerleader who became the hot bartender. I'm more than just a fit body! Hell, I can be a badass too!"

"Damn right you are!," Wynonna holds up her beer, air-clinks an invisible glass then takes a swig.

"Yeah, cheers."

"Okay, fine. What do you want, Waverly Earp?," she asks deadpan.

"I-I want… something different," Waverly aimlessly looks around the bar.

"Different?," Wynonna follows her sister's gaze with a confused expression, thinking Waverly was looking for something or someone specific.

"Yeah," Waverly suddenly looks down, a slow realization forming in her mind. "I want someone who reads something other than 'Guns & Ammo' or 'Motor Trend'," Wynonna turns back to Waverly who looks her in the eye. "Someone who can hold a conversation without bringing up rodeo or football. I want someone who sees me as more than just a hot chick to be won. I want...", Waverly trails off when she sees Shorty's newest patron walk through the door. She eyes the person from the ground up. White hi-top converse, faded black jeans hugging in all the right places, burgundy buttoned blouse with the sleeves rolled up, an adorable smile, sweet golden brown eyes, and fiery red beach waved hair.

"Haught," Waverly says to herself. Wynonna furrows her eyebrows.

"Who's hot?," she asks, but Waverly is lost in thought. "Waves?"

"Um, nothing. Officer Haught, I mean, Nicole is here," Waverly clears her throat and tries to shake off the odd feeling.

"Who?," Wynonna looks towards the door. "Oh, Nedley's new hire-deputy- or whatever. Ya' know Dolls threatened to kill her the other day," she adds with a laugh.

"What?!," Waverly looks at Wynonna bewildered.

"I mean-not really-sort of. Something about treason or... it was just Dolls being Dolls. Anyway," Wynonna tries to recover. "what were we talking about?" Waverly smiles at her sister. She takes the remaining open beer from the tray, places it in front of Wynonna and pats her on the head before going behind the counter. Wynonna gives her a funny look, but nods a thanks and heads to the pool table. Waverly tries to nonchalantly look to see where Nicole sits down as she slowly makes her way down the bartop, wiping it clean as she goes. She finally spots her walking up the two steps to the slightly higher level at the back of the room and taking a seat at an empty table by the banister. Nicole looks around the room and catches Waverly watching her. The red head gives a sweet smile, her eyes beaming. Waverly shyly smiles back and looks away, slightly blushing. Nicole looks down, smiling to herself.

"Why, that spot is so clean, I reckon I can see my face in it,'' Doc says with a smirk.

"What?," Waverly realizes she had been absent mindedly wiping down the same spot on the bartop. "Oh, right. Did you want another drink?," she shakes her head and wipes her hands on her apron. Doc places a few bills in front of her.

"Always assume the answer to that is 'yes'. I'll try one of those new beers, please," Doc smirks. Waverly pulls a random cold beer from the mini fridge behind her and hands it to him. She begins rearranging the glasses and condiments, trying way too hard to not look in Nicole's direction. "Is everything alright, Waverly?," he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, uh, I'm fine."

"You look like a priest who once stumbled into my bordello," he jokes.

"What? No, I don't. Why do you say that?," Waverly side glances in Nicole's direction.

"Just an observation," he says coyly.

Someone from the other end of the bar loudly clears his throat, trying to get Waverly's attention.

"Intuition also tells me that fine young man wishes to inquire you, or better yet, _court_ you," Doc motions to him with his beer. Waverly musters a fake smile before turning around and sees Pete who gives her an awkward wave. A decent enough guy and one of the many guys whose heart was broken by her older sister in high school.

She turns back to Doc. "Yep," she responds sarcastically. "But not really my type."

"And do pray tell, Miss Earp, what is your type?", Doc asks.

"It's...TBA," she says sharply before grabbing her serving tray and leaving.

"TBA?," Doc questions to himself.

"Hey, Pete," greets Waverly. He nervously smiles at her.

"Hey, Waverly. How's it going?," he asks.

"Oh, it's going. Just a typical Saturday night."

"Right...um," he looks down at his twiddling thumbs. Waverly's guard softens a little. Pete really is a nice guy from what she remembers back in high school. She felt sorry for him after what Wynonna did and he is pretty cute. Not rowdy like most of the guys who try to hit on her.

"What can I get for ya', Pete?," she says nicely. He takes a deep breath and musters up some confidence.

"I'm um, thinking of trying something different. What do you recommend?," he asks. Waverly perks up, caught off guard by his comment.

"Oh! Well, we just got a couple new beers from the golden state. They're pretty good."

"California, right?"

"Yeah, one of them is a lager and the label looks like it's from the gold rush," she smiles at him. '_He's not so bad.'_ she thought.

"Okay, yeah. Let's go with that one," Pete relaxes a bit more.

"Alrighty. Coming right up," she turns around and crouches down to get the beer from one of the mini fridges. She doesn't notice someone come up to the bar, waiting to order.

"Here you g-," Waverly freezes when she turns around and sees Nicole right in front of her casually smiling. "Nicole!," she shouts. Pete and Nicole are taken aback. Waverly awkwardly smiles. "Sorry, you just um, surprised me. Here, Pete," she hands it over. Pete, trying to be smooth, reached for Waverly's hand that was holding the beer but misses and the bottle nearly falls out of Waverly's hand.

"Oh, shoot! Sorry," Waverly says as she wipes down the bartop.

"It's okay. My fault," Pete looks down trying to hide his reddening cheeks. Nicole holds back a laugh. "So uh, Wave-"

"Hi, Nicole, how are you?," Waverly accidently cuts off Pete, not even hearing him. He tries to play it off by coughing and turning in his bar stool towards the crowd, chugging half his beer. Nicole doesn't bother pointing it out.

"Hi, I'm doing good. How 'bout you? Surviving the night?," Nicole asks. She leans forward a little onto the bartop towards Waverly's face to hear her better over the loud music.

"Oh! Well, you know. No better place to be on a Saturday night in Purgatory," Waverly says in an oddly sarcastic tone. She clears her throat in slight embarrassment._'What the hell is wrong with me?'_ she thinks. Confused as to why she keeps reacting this way towards the town's newest resident.

"I can think of a few things,'' Nicole says smoothly. Waverly unable to tell if she meant it flirtatiously or not. "But with company like this, I don't mind sticking around," Nicole's smile and eyes make the hairs on the back of Waverly's neck stand up. Nicole says something else, but Waverly, lost in Nicole's brown eyes, didn't hear her. Nicole furrows her eyebrows and a few seconds later, Waverly snaps out of it.

"I'm sorry. What? I um, di-didn't catch that," Waverly stumbles, a touch of red flooding her cheeks.

"I asked for recommendations," Nicole repeats with a giggle.

"So many choices, can't decide, huh?," Waverly jokes.

"Oh, I know what I want," Nicole confidently replies without missing a beat. Waverly freezes and looks at Nicole. "Since I'm new around here and you're the bartender, I want you to surprise me with your choice. Preferably a beer on tap."

"Right. OK, uh…," Waverly nervously turns to the beer taps and grabs a chilled glass. Without reading the labels, she picks one, readies the glass, then starts pouring. She glances at Nicole to see her reaction to the choice. Nicole smiles and covers her mouth to hide her blushing cheeks. '_Is-why is she blushing?',_ Waverly wonder to herself. She turns her attention back to the tap and glass and sees the handle. Suddenly she realizes why Nicole blushed and remembers how she and Nicole first met. Few weeks ago, Nicole walks in on Waverly accidently opening a broken tap while cleaning it and getting doused in beer. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, her shirt gets stuck while trying to take it off and in comes Officer Haught to the rescue. The tap that was broken is the one Waverly decided to pour for her attractive rescuer. She too begins blushing and pretends to wipe something off the side of her face with her elbow to hide it. _'Oh god, I just had to pick this one. Wait, didn't Officer Haught… flirt with me when we first met?', _she thinks to herself. Waverly was dating Champ at the time...but, now she's not. _'What if she does it again? Do I want her to do it again? OK, just relax.'_ Waverly takes a deep breath then nods in triumph before handing the beer over to the beautiful woman smiling at her.

"Thanks,"says Nicole as she successfully slowly grazes Waverly's fingers before taking the glass away.

"Anytime,'' Waverly smiles.

"I see that tap was finally fixed," Nicole motions behind her.

"Yeah, managed to get it fixed that same day. Thank goodness. I did not want a repeat of that," she trails off, the flustering feeling coming back as she gets lost in Nicole's beautiful eyes. _'Quick! Say something flirty!'_ She casually leans across the bartop while Nicole takes a sip and adds, "Unless, ya' know it was in private...again." She adds a charming smirk for good measure and catches Nicole's eyes darken and eyebrows raise a little.

"I should, uh, go back to my table… before someone takes it," Nicole says, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, okay," she replies with disappointment. _'Shoot, did I say something wrong?'_ They both stand up. "Just, uh, holler if you need me," she says as Nicole walks away with a smile. _'Awesome, Waves. Real smooth.'_

Waverly grabs her tray and does another lap around Shorty's. Collecting empties, taking orders, dodging pick up lines, lovingly judging her drunk sister, and shaking her head at Doc flirting with women at the bar. She also caught Nicole smiling at her a couple times and vice versa. When all the new orders had been fulfilled, she takes a breather behind the bar near Pete. Slightly disappointed that Nicole didn't call her over, but also disappointed with herself for not having the courage to stop by the table just to say hi.

"Looks like you could use a break,'' he says.

"You have no idea," she sighs.

"You know Waverly...you deserve better," Pete says. He's had two drinks by now and has just enough confidence to properly talk to Waverly.

"Pardon?," she asks. _'Oh no'_, she thinks.

"You deserve better things in life."

"Like what?," she asks. _'This ought to be good.'_

"Like...well, you're aunt and uncle used to always talk about how great you're doing with your online college stuff. I mean, I remember you even got valedictorian. Woman like you shouldn't be working at a place like Shorty's, but it uh, ya' know shows how much you care about people," he explains. _'OK, Pete, you get a couple brownie points for that.'_

"Thanks, Pete. I really appreciate that," she gives him a genuine smile giving him a confidence boost.

"And ya' know you deserve someone better than a guy like Champ," Pete adds. _'There it is.'_ Waverly nods.

"I agree with you there," she says. Pete sits up, thinking he's gaining momentum.

"I also think you should-"

"I'm gonna have to stop you there, Pete," she interjects. "Look Pete, I know you mean well, but never tell a woman you're trying to flirt with what _you_ think they should or shouldn't do with their life. Especially when you have no clue about what's personally going on with them. You complimented something other than my looks and I really appreciate that, but you totally crashed and burned when you were about to dictate what I should be doing."

"I-uh...I'm s-sorry. I was, um...just try-," Pete stumbles over a response, taken aback by Waverly's sudden assertiveness.

"Trying to make yourself sound better than my douche of an ex-boyfriend? Yeah, that doesn't really count as flirting either," Waverly felt a little guilty for repeatedly cutting off Pete, who she knows isn't trying to be condescending, but she was getting fed up with people telling her what she should do.

"You're right. I'm sorry," Pete finally manages to say. He takes a deep breath and changes tactics.

"Yeah, I am," she affirms.

"I shouldn't have done that. Flirting should be making the other person feel good and happy. Um, that's what I'm trying to do. You're beautiful Waverly, but you and the whole town already know that. You're also really smart and I think this town takes it for granted. You're also really sweet and I like that you care about people," Pete says, looking her in the eyes. _'Oh god, he better not propose.'_ Waverly thinks. "Waverly Earp, will you do me the honor-," he begins. _'Oh no, no, no, no.' _Waverly mentally panics.

Nicole watches from afar, wondering what Pete is saying that's making Waverly so anxious. She can't believe Pete doesn't notice despite looking right at her. She feels bad for Waverly. All these horny guys trying to hit on her at once, not caring about her space or the fact that she may want to be single after breaking it off with Champ. She wishes she could help in some way without making her own feelings obvious. It's not worth wasting time on a straight girl, but there's something about Waverly. Not just one thing, but multiple things about her that somehow no one else in this town, except her sister, can see. She had hoped Waverly would stop by her table to say something or ask if she'd like another drink. _'You could've said something too while she walked around.' _But her comment about the tap caught her off guard. _'That was flirting right? She knew I lowkey flirted with her, so she flirted back. Maybe if I do it again and she flirts back, that'd let me know she's at least bi. But what if she was just being funny? Urgh.' _Nicole finishes her beer. Unable to decide whether or not to make a move. _'I can't get my hopes up on someone I just met. She can take her time deciding what she wants. Until then…' _The front door slams open, taking everyone's attention, including Nicole's. In stumbles an already drunk Champ who zeroes in on Waverly talking to a guy who isn't him.

"-going on a date with me?," Pete didn't let the dramatic entrance stop him. However, Champ caught that last bit. He tries to play it cool as he tries walking normally towards Pete. Most of the patrons pretend to go back to what they were doing, but really everyone was tuned in to how this will play out. Wynonna and Nicole keep watch, hoping there won't be a cock fight, but knowing full well there most likely will be one.

"Pete!," Champs yells, slapping his hand on Pete's back. He jumps and turns around on his barstool.

"Oh, boy,'' Waverly can already tell what was coming when she saw her angry ex-boyfriend. Halfway down the bartop, Doc quietly unbuttons his holster just in case and casually rests his stead hand on his pistol. Wynonna begins dancing her way towards Champ to stay close and be ready to jump in, but being drunk herself doesn't help. Just when she was about to reach Champ, someone grabs her and twirls her away. Meanwhile, Nicole slides her chair back and positions her legs to be ready to pounce any second.

"H-hey, Champ," Pete tries to stay calm, but is tense anyway with Champ standing behind him. Waverly holds her position, looking at her sister, Doc and Nicole one by one. Making a mental note of where they are, praying push won't come to shove.

"How's it goin', Petey? Everything solid?," Champ slurs, slapping him on the back again. Pete flinches at the contact.

"Yeah, man."

"Glad to hear it! I'm doing great too. Or at least I was, ya' know?"

"O-oh yeah?," Pete asks nervously.

"Yeah, man. See, I thought we were pretty good friends, Pete."

"We are, Champ."

"Then why is it, when I come in here looking for a fun night, I see you hitting on my girl."

"I'm not _your girl_ anymore, Champ,'' Waverly sternly corrects. He slowly turns to look at her and scoffs.

"You really think, Petey, that a girl like Waverly would _ever_ _consider _going out with a guy like you?"

"I don't know _Champ,_ she certainly doesn't consider _you_ anymore," Pete sits up tall and looks Champ dead in the eyes. Rage flares up in Champ. Wynonna, Doc, and Nicole tense up and get ready to pounce. Everyone else either nervously or excitedly watches the drama unfold, with a small handful minding their own business. Only noise is a Jimmie Allen song loudly playing on the old jukebox.

"Waverly and I just had a fight, buddy," Champ struggles to keep up his friendly act. "She was just emotional about her uncle. You know how girls can be."

"Champ, please," Waverly pleads.

"Well I guess you wouldn't know, Petey, since you have horrible luck with girls ever since Wynonna screwed your brother...on your birthday," Champ taunts. Pete clenches his jaw, gradually losing composure.

"Yeah and I heard you cried like a baby when you were held hostage by those bikers. Not even Wynonna panicked, but you… you fell apart like a baby girl. Funny, for a guy named _Champ_. No wonder Waverly dumped you," Pete says angrily. He gets off his barstool and stands face to face with Champ.

'_Oh shit.' _thought Waverly, Wynonna, Doc, and Nicole in unison. Champ starts shaking, he's so livid. Then in an instant, Champ grabs Pete's bottle, smashes it against the bartop's edge and swings the broken glass at Pete. He leans back, the glass narrowly missing his neck as he pushes Champ away.

"Champ! No!," Waverly yells. Other patrons scream and crowd around the two of them. Some even pick sides and start cheering on either Champ or Pete. Nicole stands up and tries to go down the steps to get closer, but is blocked by the rowdy crowd. Doc calmly stays seated enjoying his drink, not caring if Champ and Pete kill each other, only the safety of Waverly who remains behind the bar. Wynonna tries shoving her way closer so she can stop the fight from escalating, but really she hopes Pete kicks Champ's ass.

"Come on, Petey! I'll show you why I'm named Champ!," he yells, slashing at Pete who kicks the barstool towards him. Champ grabs it with his free hand and throws it aside, not caring if it hits anyone or not. The crowd parts to avoid getting hit when a large hand reaches out and catches it. Everyone looks and sees Dolls calmly setting the stool down.

"Oh, thank god you're here," Waverly sighs in relief. Believing the situation will finally die down.

"OK, that was pretty hot," Wynonna says to herself. "When the hell did he get here?"

"Alright, everyone. Let's all just calm down, OK? No one needs to get hurt," Dolls says. He holds both hands up towards Pete and Champ. Doc tips his hat back, amusingly watching how the new addition will handle this.

"Why don't you stay the hell out of this, jackass! This doesn't involve you!," Champs angrily yells.

"Champ, you don't have to do this. Let's just step outside and get some air," Dolls slowly takes a few steps towards them.

"Dolls, look out!," Wynonna yells. Carl, one of Champ's friends grabs the barstool that Dolls caught and hurls it at Dolls' back. Dolls turned just fast enough for him to put up his arms as the barstool breaks over him. Unfortunately, it was a distraction for Carl so he could land a solid punch into Dolls' jaw.

"Oh, god. Please don't, Carl! Guys stop!," Waverly yells, but no one hears her over the commotion. With Champ's attention on his friend fighting the new cop in town, Pete takes advantage and lunges at Champ from behind, tackling him to the ground.

"Pete! Champ! Please stop!," Waverly begs. Afraid to come out from the safety of the bartop. Champ manages to roll over and grabs a fistful of Pete's shirt holding him in place to punch him back. The mix of adrenaline, anger, and alcohol triggers Pete. He clenches his fist and swings as hard as he can, but before he can land it, Champ hits him first. Pete's head whiplashes to the side as he falls back, ripping his shirt. Everyone else around them cheer. Meanwhile, Dolls is trying to fight off three of Champ's friends who showed up and so far isn't winning. One of them has his burly arms around Dolls, locking his arms in place and the other take turns punching him. One in his stomach, the other, his face. They both stop and laugh at him. Dolls smirks then throws his legs up and kicks the two cowboys in the chest then whips his head back to the third, breaking his nose. He lets him go and doubles over. Dolls then knees him in the head, knocking him out.

"This is why I don't go out," Dolls quips. He turns to the other two guys who try attacking him at the same time. Nicole watches from the railing, impressed with his fighting skills.

"Holy shit. Way to go, Dolls," Wynonna says to herself. She starts checking him out, but snaps out of it. "Dammit, woman, focus!" She finally manages to reach Doc who is still casually enjoying the free entertainment.

"This night is certainly full of surprises," Doc tells her.

"Yeah, a real Saturday Night Smackdown. Why haven't you jumped in?!," she scolds him.

"I have a policy of not intervening in quarrels that do not involve me," he simply states.

"Urgh, fine! Keep an eye on Waverly, I'll go make sure Dolls keeps his pretty face-ahh mean badge," she huffs as she jumps back into the cheering crowd to make her way to her boss. Once Wynonna joins Dolls, Nicole keeps a sharp eye on Waverly, hoping she stays behind the bar.

The wrestling match between Champ and Pete continues on the floor. Champ's rodeo skills give him the advantage. He wrangles a semi-conscious Pete and pins him on his stomach with his wrists and ankles behind his back. Then he starts landing rapid fire kicks into Pete's ribs.

"Champ! Get off him!," Waverly screams. She looks around the bar, in disbelief with how the crowd is reacting. She catches sight of her sister now fighting alongside Dolls and Nicole wanting to help, but being held back and good ol' Doc sitting back with a smirk. Waverly's own anger and adrenaline kicks in full force. "Oh, I'm probably gonna Earp this up," she takes a deep breath and jumps over the bartop to try to stop the guys from fighting.

"Aw, hell," Doc instantly stands up and makes his way to her.

"Waverly! You're supposed to be the smart sister!," Wynonna yells.

"Shit, Waves," Nicole mutters to herself despite being slightly impressed with the woman's bravery. She once again tries shoving past everyone to no avail. The crowd begins to step back to give the brawlers more room and to avoid getting hit themselves.

Champ keeps going at it on Pete's ribs as he cries out in pain. He finally stops from exhaustion when suddenly Waverly grabs Champ's shoulders trying to pull him away. Not realizing it's her, Champ automatically jerks his arm back and accidently shoves Waverly hard into the edge of the bartop. She cries out in pain as she falls to the floor. Hearing her cry out triggers Nicole.

"Waverly!," she immediately jumps over the bannister onto the lower floor then jumps onto tables to get over the crowd.

"I'm so sorry, Waverly! I'm-," Champs leans down to pick up Waverly, but is cut off by the barrel of a pistol staring him down. Doc motions for him to step aside so he can check on Waverly who is holding the left side of her ribcage. Champ slowly steps back with his hands in the air. Once a few steps back, he's knocked out by Pete whose face is bleeding onto his ripped shirt. Doc takes the opportunity to help Waverly to her feet.

"Are you alright? Anything broken?," he asks. His steel blue eyes check her over as he picks her up in his arms.

"Definitely feeling that tomorrow, but yeah I'll live," Waverly whimpers out, trying to keep a brave face.

"I think it's best you stay on this side of the bar,'' Doc helps her back over the bartop with his back turned to the fight.

"Doc, look out!," Waverly warns. The second Doc turns around his face is met with a whiskey bottle that breaks across his face, dazing him.

"Keep your old dirty hands off my girl!," Champ yells. Turns out Pete hadn't knocked him out, just stunned him. With adrenaline coursing through him, he gave Pete a major blow to the temple, knocking him out cold. Then he grabbed a random empty bottle and turned to his new target: Doc. He holds up what's left of the bottle, poised to come crashing down again.

"For the last fracking time! I'M NOT YOUR GIRL!," screams Waverly. Champ finally hears her and stops.

A raging Waverly climbs onto the bartop and stands up. Nicole, finally making it to the edge of the circle, pauses when she sees her. Hoping she's not about to attempt what she thinks she will. Wynonna, now trying to help Dolls handcuff the three heavily bruised cowboys, doesn't see her baby sister.

"Oooh boy. Waverly don-," Nicole's heart jumps to her throat as she watches Waverly jump off the bartop towards Champ who looks up dumbfounded. Being too drunk to react fast enough, Champ raises his hands forgetting about the broken bottle he's still holding. Nicole then leaps forward, despite being too far away to break their fall. Waverly crashes into Champ, the jagged glass scratching her arm like an animal's claws as they fall to the floor. She screams out in pain and rolls off Champ who is now semi-conscious from being hit in the head so many times. Nicole's breath catches when she hears the scream.

"Waverly?!," Nicole cries out. She slides to the floor and holds up Waverly. She rips off her dress shirt, revealing a black tank top underneath, and uses the shirt to stop the light bleeding on Waverly's arm.

"Nicole?," Waverly says weakly. "I swear this isn't how a typical Saturday night goes."

"Maybe next time we'll have a quiet one," she smiles at her.

"We?," Waverly asks. Nicole awkwardly clears her throat.

Doc helps hoist an unconscious Pete onto a nearby chair, but Champ once again gets up. He grabs a random glass of water and throws it in his face, then tries wiping off the blood with his sleeves. After rubbing his eyes, he sees Officer Haught helping Waverly stand up.

"This is all your fault! Waves loved me until you showed up! Y-you dyke! You can go to hell!," he exclaims. Nicole clenches her jaw, eyes turning deadly and all consideration of maintaining composure flies out the window. He begins to make a move towards her, but is stopped by Doc who pushes him back. Doc holds up his hands, ready the box the drunken cowboy. Champ leans forward and uses his bodyweight to slam Doc to the ground, landing part way on Nicole who gets knocked to the side. Waverly gasps and reaches out to her, but the movement aggravates her ribs, forcing her to lean back.

"Alright, that's it!," Nicole quickly gets onto her feet and faces down Champ. Wynonna runs to her sister and Doc. Dolls goes to back up Nicole.

"Oh, now _you're_ gonna try to take me on? You're half my size, bitch! I've taken down cattle bigger than you," Champ taunts, spitting out blood towards Nicole's feet.

"Good thing I'm not cattle then," Nicole smirks and raises her fists. Champ swings at her, going for a knockout punch, which Nicole easily dodges. Sobriety clearly giving her the upper hand. She grabs his arm and twists it behind his back, pulling at it hard.

"What the hell?," he groans out in pain. Dolls stands back with an impressed smile.

"This is for Waverly,'' she whispers in Champ's ear. She swiftly kicks out his legs from underneath him making him fall to his knees. Then she jerks his upper body to the side and knees him hard in the face, breaking his nose. Everyone cheers as Champ is finally subdued.

"Well done, Officer Haught," Dolls compliments.

"Thanks...Agent Dolls," they shake hands. Nicole looks down at a dazed and bleeding Champ and scoffs at him. "You're under arrest for disturbing the peace, assault and battery and assault of an officer. You may remain silent which I'm sure won't be a problem," Dolls pulls out another zip-tie from his jacket pocket and arrests Champ then pulls him to his feet.

"You can go fu-urgh!," Champ cries out. He's interrupted by a sudden kick to the groin from none other than Waverly. He goes limp, but Dolls holds him up.

"That's for insulting Nicole you asshole!", Waverly realizes what she just exclaimed. "A-and-and hurting my friends! Dammit!," she awkwardly kicks him again for good measure. Nicole tries to hold back a laugh, but can't hide a smile. Waverly shyly smiles back and goes to sit down. Wynonna proudly hugs her.

"That's my badass baby girl!," she says. Doc gently taps her on the shoulder. Dolls hands Champ over to Nicole, then goes to line up his three friends by the door.

Everyone in the bar finally calms down once they see the damage that Purgatory's finest unleashed on Champ and his buddies. Many patrons begin to leave and the few that remained went back to minding their own business. Wynonna takes a look at Doc's face which now has small cuts all over.

"Gotta quit using a straight razor, Doc,'' Wynonna teases.

"I may switch to drinking out of those little metal cans for a while. He wipes his face with a damp rag from the bartop. Dolls approaches them.

"You creepily showed up at the right time. Are premonitions one of the BBD perks?," Wynonna asks, half serious. Dolls keeps his usual blank face, but can't help but let out a glimpse of a smile.

"Thanks for helping out. Even though I had it handled," he says.

"Oh yeah, you totally did. Just uh, didn't want you to have all the fun," she replies. They smile at each other. Doc clears his throat and stands up.

"I think I'll retire for the night," Doc says awkwardly. He says good night to everyone and leaves.

Nicole shoves Champ into a nearby chair. "Don't move," she says sternly. He groans in response. She then makes her way to Waverly who gently lifts Nicole's shirt from her arm and breathes a sigh of relief to see the bleeding stopped. Nicole crouches down next to her and lightly runs her hand from Waverly's shoulder down near the scratches. Nicole's touch gives Waverly goosebumps all over, making her flustered once again.

"I'm sorry,'' Nicole says. Waverly smiles at her. "I should've stepped in sooner. I could've stopped it," Nicole begins rambling when she sees Waverly's arm.

"Hey, no, no. It's OK. I'm OK. See?," Waverly holds up her arm. "Totally fine. Just looks like I got a new cat," they both giggle. Waverly then realizes she's holding Nicole's shirt in her other hand. "Oh, god! Your shirt! I'm so sorry! I'll totally buy you a new one."

Nicole smiles and gently lowers Waverly's hand holding the bloodstained shirt.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're OK," both women gaze into each other's eyes.

"Nedley sure knows how to pick 'em," Wynonna says to Dolls.

"So does Waverly," he adds.

"What?," Wynonna looks at him puzzled.

"Come on, let's book these guys at the station," he adds.

"Wh-why do I have to go?," Wynonna whines. Nicole rolls her eyes.

"It's OK, Wynonna, I'll do it," Nicole says.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Just doing my job...on my night off," she says the last part to herself, but Waverly catches it. Waverly looks to Dolls, who catches her expression then jumps in.

"Ah, no. Nicole, you're first aid certified correct?," he asks.

"Yeah, of course."

"Good. You'll stay here and watch over Waverly. Tend to her injuries. Wynonna and I will take everyone to the station," he directs. Wynonna gives him a dirty look. "After all, we're the ones who arrested them."

"Urgh, fiiine. You gonna be OK, Waves?," Wynonna asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just gonna close early and clean up."

"What? No way! You know what, Dolls, how 'bout _you _go book the frat boys, Nicole can patch up Waves and _I'll_ clean up," Wynonna suggests.

"N-no!", Waverly blurts out. Wynonna and Nicole look startled. "I mean…," Waverly tries to recover. "Officer Haught, I mean Nicole, can help me clean up…right?," she looks to Nicole, hoping she'll catch the hint. Nicole's eyebrows perk up and her heart skips a beat.

"Y-yes! Of course I can. I'll uh, make sure no one else bothers her and I'll help clean up," Nicole says quickly.

"I'll be in good hands!," Waverly finishes.

"Yup, _very_ good hands," Nicole adds bluntly.

"Good," Dolls takes Wynonna's arm with one hand then hoists up Champ with the other and leads them to the door. He lets go of Wynonna who reluctantly grabs two of Champ's friends while Dolls takes the remaining one.

"You better give me overtime pay for this," Wynonna groans.

"The sooner we finish the paperwork, the sooner I'll buy you tequila and give you a ride," Dolls entices. Wynonna raises an eyebrow.

"Ride home or a _ride _ride?," she whispers to him.

"Save a horse," he says with a smirk before walking outside. Wynonna's eyes widen and her jaw drops.

"OK, bye kids! Be good!," she shouts as she quickly pushes the two drunks outside. Nicole and Waverly laugh to themselves. Nicole gets Waverly a glass of water then stands in the middle of the bar to begin clearing out the remaining patrons.

"Alright, show's over. Time to go home, everyone! Drive safely," Nicole shouts to everyone.

"Yeah, sorry guys! We're closing early tonight," she smiles apologetically at everyone while Nicole motions them to the door.

Once everyone is finally gone, Nicole turns off the 'open' sign in the widow and locks the door. She walks back to Waverly and sits in an empty chair next to her. They look around the bar and take in all the damage caused by the two fights. The country music playing on the jukebox in the back is all that fills the silence between the two women.

"I'm definitely calling out tomorrow," Waverly sighs.

"Yeah, I don't blame you," Nicole smiles.

"I don't even know where to start."

"_You _ don't have to start anywhere. Let me take care of everything," Nicole stands up and turns to Waverly. "Just, uh, point me to a broom?"

"The door by the bar is the supply closet. You don't have to do it by yourself, lemme-ah," Waverly groans, clutching her ribs as she tries to stand up. Nicole rushes to her side and eases her back down into the chair.

"Whoa, there! You can totally sit this one out," Nicole gently puts her hands on Waverly's shoulders and slowly slides them down. Her heart rate quickening while Waverly feels goosebumps all over. _'What is it about her that makes me feel like this? No one has ever made me feel like this.' _Waverly takes a deep breath.

"I uh, just feel bad...for making you do everything."

"Well, my job is to 'protect and serve'. I already did the 'protect' part, so now it's time to 'serve'," Nicole explains as she looks into Waverly's eyes. _'Boy, do I want to serve you…' _Nicole catches herself as she feels heat spread all over her body.

"Well when you put it that way…,"

"Good. Now stay put."

"Yes, Officer," Waverly smirks. _'Be cool, Waves. Be cool.'_

Nicole stands back up and goes to the supply closet. She pulls out an old broom with a cracked handle and a rusty bucket and dustpan. She walks to where Pete had sat at the bar and bends over to set down the bucket and dustpan. _'Damn, she has a really nice ass.'_ Waverly immediately covers her face with a shock and embarrassment. _'Oh god, Did I really just think that?'_ Nicole stands up and glances back at Waverly who quickly looks down at her, pretending she wasn't just checking out the attractive redhead.

"I'll just do a quick sweep of all the glass then you'll have my undivided attention when I check you out," Nicole says as she begins sweeping the area where the first fight took place.

"I can't wait," Waverly blurts out. Nicole pauses and smirks at her. "I-uh-I mean, I can't wait to umm, ya' know get my arm bandaged and stuff," she looks down to hide her blushing face. Nicole turns back to sweeping, biting her lip to suppress a smile.

After a few minutes, Nicole grabs the dustpan and sweeps all the debris into it, then drops it into the bucket. Next, she takes a rag and wipes all the remaining debris and spilled alcohol from the bartop into the bucket. Once finished, she returns everything to the supply closet and goes back to Waverly.

"Would it be stupid to ask if this place has a First-aid kit?," asks Nicole.

"Nope, but it might be had you asked if it was well stocked."

"Right. OK, well I always keep one in the cruiser. I'll just run out and get it. I'll be back in a second," she says as she briskly unlocks then exits the bar. While she's gone, Waverly cautiously stands up and gingerly begins to push the chairs and barstools back to their proper places. She approaches a barstool that was knocked over and lifts it up, but the weight aggravates her ribs and she drops it.

"Ah, holy hell!," she grunts in pain as the barstool stumbles to the floor. She's then startled by its movement. Waverly jolts around and sees an embarrassed Nicole awkwardly picking up the fallen barstool.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," her concerned eyes look over Waverly who hugs her ribcage.

"It's okay. I didn't hear you come in. I can't believe I can't pick up a damn stool," Waverly complains.

"Hopefully you didn't crack any of your ribs, but they'll definitely be bruised for a while."

"Great. Just what I need."

"A few days off?," Nicole says, trying to make light of it.

"Yeah, sure," Waverly scoffs. With everything that's been happening with the Ghost River Triangle, there's been no such thing as a 'day off'. Nicole looks around the bar then back at Waverly.

"Is there someplace I can patch you up? Somewhere you'd be more comfortable," Nicole asks.

"Yeah, um, there's a studio apartment upstairs that Champ and-," Waverly stops and Nicole awkwardly glances away. "That I have been using. We can go there," she offers.

"That'll be much better," Nicole says. _'We can be alone together where there's a couch and…bed.'_ Nicole's heart skips a beat at the thought. Nicole goes around the bar turning off all the lights then the jukebox. They walk to the creaky staircase at the back of the bar. Waverly goes up first, but after a few steps she winces in pain, forcing her to pause. Nicole places her hand on Waverly's lower back to steady her, then without a second thought, she hands Waverly her medium-sized First-Aid kit then effortlessly scoops Waverly up in her arms. Waverly gasps, but giggles at the gesture.

"Allow me," Nicole tells her, impressed with herself.

"Wow, you really put the _serve_ in 'protect and serve' don't you?," Waverly jokes as she slides one arm around Nicole's neck.

"I take my job very seriously," Nicole replies with a playful tone.

She carries Waverly the rest of the way up the apartment's door. Still in her strong arms, Waverly takes the key from her pocket, reaches out to unlock the door, then turns the handle to open it. Nicole gently nudges the door to fully open as she side-steps in the little studio apartment. In it is a compact kitchenette along one wall with a small round table with two chairs. On the opposite wall is a full size bed with colorful linens and a simple nightstand with a hand painted vase holding a couple of lilies in it. Another wall had a single window that looks out to the street, underneath is a desk cluttered with books, newspaper clippings, old photos and a laptop. The last wall displayed two doors: one for the basic bathroom and the other a tiny closet. Off in the corner sat a paint-chipped coffee table with a small TV and a worn out two-seater couch. Nicole walks to the couch and slowly sets Waverly down.

"Why, thank you Officer Haught."

"At your service, Miss," they both laugh. "This is a cute and cozy place," says Nicole as she looks around.

"Yeah, after I graduated high school, I mentioned to Shorty that I was looking for a place of my own. Since he wasn't using this one, he let me move in. He knows I love working here, so what better place to live, right?," she hands Nicole the red bag. Nicole washes her hands in the bathroom and brings back a damp washcloth for Waverly's arm. She sets her bag on the cushion next to Waverly and opens it to reveal various supplies.

"You're really prepared for just about anything in there, huh?," Waverly asks, browsing the inventory.

"Almost. I like to go rock climbing and hiking so I've seen my fair share of injuries. Even had some of them myself," Nicole picks out the needed supplies. "Plus, it's standard operating procedure for law enforcement,'' she adds with a smirk.

"Of course," Waverly says as she holds out her scratched arm that's still wrapped in Nicole's shirt. Nicole carefully unwraps her bloodied shirt to asses the damage which isn't as bad as she initially thought.

"Good news! No need for stitches," she jokes. Using the damp cloth, she softly wipes away all the dry blood. Then rips open a couple of alcohol wipes to clean up the cuts along her forearm. Waverly keeps a brave face and only flinches once. Once the cuts are all cleaned up, Nicole searches for a roll of tape to bandage it up. Waverly inspects her arm, glad to see the injury isn't as bad as it first looked or felt. Her arm just looks like a cat got a bit too feisty with her. Waverly holds out her arm again so Nicole can carefully place a few small pieces of gauze over the scratches. Then she unravels a strip of white adhesive tape and begins wrapping Waverly's forearm.

"Keep this up, Earp, and you'll earn yourself a lollipop," Nicole jokes. '_I'd much rather lick-NO. No, nope, noooooo. Stop it Waverly Earp!'_ Waverly's eyes go wide when she realizes her initial thought. Nicole looks up and sees her expression, "I guess that sounded funnier in my head." '_Way to be cheesy, Nicole.'_

"Oh! No, it was funny. Something unexpected just came to mind," Waverly admits, shaking her head. Nicole's eyebrow raises in curiosity.

"Oh yeah? What was it?," she asks. Waverly blushes, heat rising up all over her.

"Uhhh… damn, the stupid AC must be out again," Waverly says, fanning her face with her free hand. Nicole narrows her eyes in suspicion. _'OK, something is definitely up with her.'_

"Umm, feels fine to me. Then again, I'm just wearing a tank top so my opinion is biased," Nicole finishes wrapping the bandage over Waverly's arm. "Remember to make sure this doesn't get wet, especially when you shower,'' she adds. Waverly looks down at Nicole's hands. '_That's not what I'm worried about getting wet.' _Waverly blushes again and looks away to let out a deep sigh. '_Where the frack is all this coming from?_ '

"I'm sorry, I'm almost done," Nicole apologizes, slowing down her movements. "I have some ibuprofen in here somewhere," she adds. Waverly feels bad for accidentally making Nicole think she was aggravating her cut.

"No, it's not that, it's…," Waverly trails off, unsure how to explain herself. Nicole puts away the rest of the tape then gently takes Waverly's arm in her hands. She softly rubs her fingers over the bandage in an effort to comfort her. A comfortable silence falls between them.

"That feels really nice," Waverly says quietly. It was Nicole's turn to blush.

"Um, did you want some ibuprofen?," Nicole asks, reaching for the small bottle. Waverly suddenly grabs Nicole's hand.

"I want-," '_you to hold me again.'_ Waverly catches herself before saying that last part out loud. Nicole reads Waverly's eyes and can tell she's holding something back, but can't figure out what. Waverly tries changing the subject instead. "-to make sure I didn't crack any ribs. Could you check please?," she asks.

"Yeah, of course. Um, you have to uh…," Nicole suddenly becomes too shy to finish her sentence and only manages to wave a finger to Waverly's torso.

"What?," Waverly looks down and realizes she'd have to either lift up her shirt or take it off entirely. "Oh! Psh, duh! Not like you haven't seen me in my bra before," she nervously laughs. _'Here's your chance, Waves. Make a move!'_ Waverly takes a deep breath and moves her arms to take off her tight fitting Shorty's Saloon t-shirt. When she sits up and arches her back, she gets about halfway with taking it off then stops due to pain. She puts her arms back down and shyly asks, "Could you, um, help me please."

"Totally, yeah," she gently grabs Waverly's shirt and slowly slides it off. "Is this going to be 'a thing' between us now?," Nicole jokes.

"Only if I get to see you in your bra," Waverly bluntly says as she leans back into the couch. They both awkwardly laugh, uncertain what to say or do next. _'That can totally be arranged.' _Nicole thinks to herself.

"Let's check your ribs first," Nicole laughs. She sets the t-shirt aside and lowkey gazes at Waverly's teal satin bra which makes her heart skip a beat. _'Oh, wow. OK, keep it professional, Haught. God, you're so hot.'_ Nicole does her best to snap out of it while Waverly is relieved for wearing her nice lingerie. Nicole's gaze goes lower to the large purple bruise the size of a Belgian waffle.

"Ouch," Nicole sympathizes. She rapidly rubs her hands together to try to warm them up before examining Waverly's ribcage. After a few seconds, she ever so softly places her hands on Waverly's ribs and stomach and gently pushes down in a few places. "How's that feel?," she asks. Waverly tries ignoring the goosebumps that start tickling her legs up her back towards her head.

"Still hurts, but not as bad now. It's more sore than anything else," Waverly winces.

"Can you raise your arm for me? As high as you can go," Nicole requests. Waverly obeys and successfully raises her arm all the way up, but quietly groans in pain. Nicole lowers the woman's arm back down.

"Perfect. Not even a cracked rib. You sure are a lucky woman, Waverly Earp," she smiles.

"The luckiest," Waverly laughs. Nicole reaches into her First-Aid kit and pulls out a tube of ointment.

"Here, this'll help soothe the muscles so you can sleep better," Nicole says as she squeezes a dab of ointment onto her fingers. She then gingerly rubs it onto the large bruise. Waverly's breath catches again at the woman's touch. She closes her eyes as her mouth slightly falls open. _'I wonder what it'd be like if she did that everywhere.'_ Waverly begins to imagine it and a warm fluttering sensation bubbles up from the pit of her stomach. Nicole watches her, resisting the urge to allow her hands to wander and caress the rest of Waverly's body. _'God, she's so beautiful and her skin is so soft...urgh, keep it together, woman!'_ Nicole thinks to herself. She quickly finishes up and wipes her fingers on a clean corner of the damp cloth. She then checks to make sure everything is back in its place before zipping the First-Aid kit closed. She stands up to place the red bag on the dining table then drops the damp washcloth in the kitchen sink and runs water over it to drain most of the blood out. When she turns back around to the couch, she sees Waverly dozing off still without a shirt.

"Um, well I'm all done. Want some help getting into bed? I can leave you alone after that," Nicole suggests. _'Or I can stay. Please ask me to stay.'_

"Sorry, uh, thanks so much for all your help. I'll be sure to let Nedley know he picked the best deputy possible," Waverly giggles. _'Would you stay if I asked?'_

"Oh, it's nothing. Just ya' know doing my job...and stuff. Helping out a new…friend," Nicole says nervously.

"Would you mind actually sticking around for a while longer? I'm still a bit riled up from tonight," Waverly asks shyly. Nicole hastily drops onto the couch next to Waverly.

"Y-yeah, totally, of-of course," she stutters. _'Smooth, Nicole. Real smooth.'_

"Thanks. Gosh, where are my manners?!," she says as she sits up. "Di-um…would you like a glass of water or something? I think I have some twinkies."

"I'm more of a cupcakes fan myself," Nicole says with a smile. "Thank you, though, I'm fine."

"OK, well if you change your mind, feel free to…," Waverly motions towards the kitchenette. They both go quiet. Nicole taps her hands on her thighs while browsing the apartment. Waverly fidgets with her t-shirt. _'I should probably put my shirt back on. She probably thinks it's weird I haven't put it on. Does it count as a move if I don't put it back on? I mean, I'll have to take it off again when I change into my pjs. I'll just leave it off. It'll keep me cooled down. God, I'm shirtless in front of a really hot redhead. Is this how lesbians show they're thirsty? Gosh, am I saying I'm a lesbian now? I've never had problems saying a woman is beautiful, but now… I'm like…starting to feel really attracted to Nicole. This has never happened before. Should I say something about it?_

"Waves…," Nicole's voice snaps Waverly out of her train of thought.

"Hmm?"

"Um, I know we barely met and don't really know much about each other, but…," both of their heartbeats begin to quicken. "You can talk to me…or rant about anything and I'll just sit here and listen without any judgment and full confidentiality." They look into each other's eyes.

"Thanks. I'm ok though," Waverly smiles. _'Gosh, I hope she can't read my mind. Is that a thing in the Ghost River Triangle?'_

"Now that's a lie and a half," Nicole jokes narrowing her eyes at her.

"It is not! I'm totally fine," Waverly defends.

"You sure? Because a second ago your foot was tapping like a jack rabbit and it looked like you were about to tear your shirt. Also...," Nicole holds up Waverly's bandaged arm in front of her face and nods towards the bruise. Waverly rolls her eyes then puts her arm back down.

"This doesn't count. What happened tonight is just an… idiotic thing that… urgh Champ," Waverly shakes her head in frustration and drops her head into her hands. Nicole leans forward, putting a comforting arm around Waverly's bare shoulders.

"Like I said, if you need to rant or vent about anything, I'm here. Nothing worse than being a shaken soda bottle," Nicole tells her reassuringly. Waverly keeps her head down, taking a deep breath. After a few seconds, Waverly sits up and wipes her eyes. Nicole's concern grows. She holds herself back from wanting to cuddle her and caress her face to help take the pain away. _'Yeah, she'd totally freak if I did that. Completely unprofessional.' _Nicole thinks to herself.

"It's just…," Waverly begins, "thinking back, I don't even know why I dated him in the first place. I mean, yeah, all the girls in high school drooled all over him and when he asked me out, I just thought that'd make me the luckiest girl in this whole town." As Waverly opens up, Nicole contently stays by her side, never looking away from Waverly's eyes.

"Sounds like you didn't even like him,'' Nicole says. A burning question growing in the back of her mind. She notices Waverly mulling over her statement.

"I did. At least…maybe on and off I did. He had his sweet moments, believe it or not, and whenever I needed a break from life to blow off steam...he was a lot of fun. I usually felt safe around him because of his rodeo skills," Waverly continued._ 'Right, I've heard he's failed Police Academy twice.' _Nicole scoffs to herself.

"Waves, you're pretty badass on your own," Nicole counters.

"Psh, not really," Waverly waves at Nicole. '_You really think so?'_

"Yes, you are!," Nicole says with more confidence. She sits up and takes both of Waverly's hands in her own then looks her in her beautiful hazel eyes.

"What do you see when you look at me?," Waverly asks. She had wanted the question to sound like a mere curiosity, but instead it came out sounding more like a dare to Nicole. _Can't believe I just asked her that.'_ Nicole is left speechless for a moment, but even her own subconscious speaks out. '_Fuck it, she should know.' _Nicole then impetuously begins her rant.

"I see a badass woman who can totally take care of herself, current injuries aside of course. Waves, you're someone who this town takes for granted. I can only imagine how irritating that is for you. I mean, you're over here with a full-time job, you're dealing with your sister being back; who seems insane by the way, no offense, _and _I can tell you've been helping her and Agent Dolls with whatever classified stuff that I know I'm not supposed to ask about. But it makes sense since, you're clearly the town historian with all that stuff on your desk. Anyway, Nedley had mentioned you were taking online classes so you could stay closer to home, which you're probably ace-ing, but it shows how much you sacrifice for the people you care about. Sometimes I do wonder though why you stick around when you can be off traveling or going to some Ivy league school. Hell, I bet you could go to Oxford or Cambridge!," Nicole laughs. Her eyes light up as she loses herself in talking about Waverly. Waverly herself can't believe it. She's lived in Purgatory her whole life, grew up knowing all the same people and yet, the people didn't know her. Not really. Nicole Haught, the new deputy who is a stranger to most, somehow noticed and saw things about Waverly that she wished everyone else outside of her family saw. _'Wow.'_ was all Waverly could think. Nicole shyly bites her lip, waiting for Waverly to say something.

Waverly suddenly lets go of Nicole's hands, throws her own arms around Nicole's neck and kisses her. The abrupt movement makes Nicole fall back into the couch cushions. Nicole immediately wraps her arms around Waverly's waist, careful not to push on the bruise. Waverly then stops and pulls away slightly. Nicole looks up at her with surprise.

"I don't know why I did that. I mean, I do...I just...is it OK that I did that?," Waverly shyly asks, her heart racing.

"It's more than OK. I've been hoping you would," Nicole says trying to catch her breath.

"Oh...really? Good because...I want to do it again," she giggles and blushes again.

"Yes, please," Nicole nods as she leans up to catch Waverly's soft lips in another kiss. This time, Waverly straddles Nicole and grips the armrest to hold herself up while her other hand caresses Nicole's cheek and then slides in her red hair. Nicole wraps one arm around the side that isn't bruised while her free hand slides down to her hip then further down to where Waverly's butt meets her thigh. They both softly moan into each other as their kiss turns fervent. _'God, this feels so damn good!'_ Waverly thinks to herself.

Without breaking their kiss, Nicole holds Waverly as she sits upright with Waverly still straddling her. Waverly then moves her hands down and blindly tries finding the bottom hem of Nicole's black tank top to pull off. After a few seconds of struggling, Waverly leans back giggling as Nicole swiftly takes it off and throws it to the side. Waverly moves forward again and without thinking, Nicole places her hands on Waverly's ribcage to pull her closer.

"Ahh!," Waverly cries out. The pressure aggravates the bruise, making Waverly jerk to the side and fall off Nicole's lap onto the couch cushion. _'Oh shit, way to go Nicole!'_

"Oh my god! I'm so so sorry! Are you OK?," Nicole worriedly asks. Embarrassed for not being careful. Waverly hugs her side and places a hand on Nicole's face to calm her.

"It's OK. I'm OK. Just a little heat of the moment accident," Waverly jokes breathlessly.

"We should slow down," Nicole says.

"Yeah, that'd be best," Waverly agrees. Nicole helps her stand up and hold her hand as they walk to the bed. Waverly slowly sits down, but Nicole stays standing. _'She probably wants me to leave now.'_

"Um, feel free to call me if you feel worse or need help with anything," Nicole says awkwardly. Waverly sadly looks up at Nicole and grabs her hand when she starts to walk away.

"I didn't say you had to leave."

"Oh."

"Stay. Please? Nothing has to happen. No expectations. I just...I want you with me," Waverly says softly patting the bed.

"OK," Nicole bends down and gives Waverly a butterfly kiss on her forehead, then on her lips. "I guess sleeping in my jeans won't be that bad."

"What? Don't be silly. I can lend you something," Waverly looks towards her dresser then glances back at Nicole, taking in the full sight of her in a navy blue bra. "Oooorrrr we can just sleep in our underwear…," Waverly says with a suggestive look in her eyes.

"What happened to 'nothing has to happen' and 'no expectations'?," she laughs.

"Still stands. Just saying, it's a warm night and it'd be more comfortable than sleeping in your jeans," Waverly explains as she undos Nicole's belt._'No holding back now.'_

"Good point," Nicole takes a step back and coyly takes her shoes and jeans off, revealing matching underwear. Waverly does the same, then pulls back the covers. She gets in first then scoots over and motions for Nicole to join her. Nicole takes a deep breath, trying to ease her frantic heartbeat. _'We just met. Haven't even gone a date and already we've made out and now we're half naked in her bed… hell of a Saturday night.' _Nicole thinks to herself as she settles into Waverly's comfy bed.

"I've never done this before," Waverly admits.

"Have a sleepover?," Nicole jokes.

"I mean, I've never done _this_ with a woman before. Or even with a guy I just met. Usually I wait 'til at least the second date," Waverly explains.

"Neither have I. Especially with a guy," they both laugh.

"When I broke up with Champ, I was about to give up on finding someone in this town. But tonight when you walked through the door, I just… Ever since you walked in here that first day, I've felt something every time I saw you. I didn't know what it was then and it scared me, but now… I can't wait to find out." _'No turning back. Not ever.'_

"Me too," Nicole whispers then kisses Waverly again. Unable to help themselves, they snuggle close together as they passionately kiss, this time unafraid to let their hands wander.


End file.
